Yemen rebels claim drone attacks on Saudi airbase

Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed to have carried out drone attacks on military targets in the King Khalid airbase in southwestern Saudi Arabia, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, Houthi spokesman Yahia Sarei said the drone attacks targeted radars and military positions at the airbase near the city of Khamis Mushait.

The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, said it had shot down a Houthi drone fired from Yemen toward the southern Saudi city of Abha.

In a statement, coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki vowed to “take all measures to neutralize the hostile capabilities of the Houthis within the framework of international law and rules”.

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Houthi rebels have claimed several drone attacks in recent months on Saudi airports near the country’s border with Yemen.

Yemen has been beset by violence and chaos since 2014, when Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including the capital Sanaa. The crisis escalated in 2015 when a Saudi-led military coalition launched a devastating air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi territorial gains.

According to UN figures, Yemen is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with more than 10 million people driven to the brink of famine. More than 22 million people in Yemen are desperate for humanitarian aid and protection.